Tuesday, 13 November 2012

And the award for the most patronising statement of the week goes to: Professor Erhan Afyoncu, who has informed Turks that historical dramas may not be 100% accurate.Professor Afyoncu was speaking about the hugely popular television series Muhtesem Yuzyil (The Magnificent Century), which fictionalises lives of some of Turkey's most famous sultans.

The Magnificent Century may not actually be 100% factual.

“Turkish people confuse the idea of TV series and documentary. A TV series is a different thing than a documentary,” the professor stated. Afyoncu, who is a professor on the board of the Ataturk High Institute of Culture Language and History, as well as a former consultant for 'The Magnificent Century', said that it was necessary to "create a fiction" around the known events from history.“Despite saying that there wasn't enough historical material to work from, the professor said that TV shows needed to respect the secrets of the past. "Otherwise, it is disrespectful to the private life of the Ottoman sultans." And if anyone needs protecting, it's those who have been dead for hundreds of years.